Jackie MacMullan to be Guest Speaker at “30 Years of Coaching Excellence” Gala

CAMBRDIGE, Mass. – ESPN.com and NBA
columnist Jackie MacMullan will serve as the guest speaker at the
“30 Years of Coaching Excellence” gala hosted by the
Friends of Harvard Basketball. The event is scheduled to take place
Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in Lavietes Pavilion.

The gala is being held in honor of women’s basketball head
coach Kathy Delaney-Smith who is entering her 31st season at
the helm of the Crimson. Delaney-Smith is the winningest coach in
Ivy League women’s basketball history, having captured 11
Ancient Eight titles while racking up 474 career victories. She has
coached eight Ivy League Players of the Year, including three-time
winner Allison Feaster ’98 and two-time recipient Hana
Pelijto ’04, five Ivy League Rookies of the Year and 34
first-team All-Ivy League recipients. Additionally, all 16 members
of Harvard's 1,000 point club have been recruited and coached by
Delaney-Smith.

“I am so excited to be part of this evening honoring
Kathy, my former coach at Westwood High School,” MacMullan
commented. “She is a true pioneer who has established an
unparalleled level of excellence at Harvard, and along the way has
inspired so many young women, including me. She is the gold
standard when it comes to coaching, winning, and caring. I feel
blessed to be part of her basketball family.”

Delaney-Smith began her coaching career at Westwood (Mass.) High
School where she coached MacMullan. There she compiled an
incredible record of 204-31 with an unparalleled six undefeated
regular seasons and one Massachusetts state title, in addition to
96 straight wins in the regular season. While at Westwood she
coached seven Boston Globe All-Scholastic selections, as well as
numerous other players who went on to play collegiately.

In recognition of her contribution to the game, Delaney-Smith,
along with Feaster, was part of the inaugural class to be inducted
into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in October 2003. In
March of 2000, Delaney-Smith received the New England Women's
Leadership Award for Sports and was bestowed with the prestigious
Carol Eckman Award at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
(WBCA) convention. The Award is presented annually to an active
WBCA coach who exemplifies Eckman's spirit, integrity and through
sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical
behavior, courage and dedication to purpose.

“I am very excited about bringing so many people together
who have had such an impact on my life - my Westwood players
who started it all, my Harvard players who keep it going, and so
many people from the Harvard community who have supported us along
the way,” stated Delaney-Smith. “What better way to
celebrate than by hearing from one of the best sports writers in
the country and a former Westwood player of mine, Jackie MacMullan.
It will be a night to remember.”